Mark Rand

Re: A Look at my Version of Pittsburgh in the CU The Beaverun (or, more correctly, BeaveRun) Motorsports Cpmplex is in Wampum, in Beaver County. It has a 1.5-mile track and a karting track. There are plans to add a 2.6-mile track, making the road course up to 4-miles long. In real life, the old Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science is no longer active. There are plans to connect it to the Pittsburgh Childrens Museum, ruining the architecture of two wonderful buildings. His historic Zeiss Mark II Planetarium projector, as I understand it, is sitting an a warehouse near the water's edge. In the CU, however, things turned out better for it. Wayne Enterprises bought the building and equipment from the city, brought the building up to code, had the Zeiss projector, nicknamed "Jake", repaired, state of art audio/visual equipment installed in the lecture hall, The Little Science Theatre, and the basement clubrooms, and added new computer equipment and two telescopes, a 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector and a 6-inch refractor, that are used, weather permitting, along with the 10-inch Siderostat-type refractor telescope for viewing the stars. The rebuilt Zeiss is used daily. When it's raised the audience hears the opening portion from Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra. This piece is better known as the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme. During solar and lunar eclipses, a video camera is properly positioned and the image is fed to monitors in the galleries, video projectors in the clubrooms and Little Science Theatre and also webcast on the planetarium's website. They also lease the clubrooms, lecture hall and planetarium theatre, The Theatre of The Stars, to the Community College of Alleghny County for morning classes at the rate of $1.00 per year. The people at the Carnegie Science Center aren't happy about the old Buhl Planetarium still being open, but nobody else cares. Both places draw big crowds.

Re: A Look at my Version of Pittsburgh in the CU I corected a mistake in the first post. Our look at interesting places starts with sports venues. The Meadows, in Meadowlands, Pennsylvania is a 5/8-mile, limestone-surfaced track for standardbred (harness) horses. Washington County Speedway, which is based on the old Continental Divide Raceway, consists of a dragstrip, a 1/2 -mile oval and a 2.66-mile road course. The dragstrip serves as the front straight of both the oval and the road course and the oval's back straight is included in the road course. The facility's home to many kinds of motor sports. The Pittsburgh International Airport area is home to Pittsburgh International Speedway, a 1-mile oval with a 1.51-mile road course inside. The track owners have no interest in hosting amateur racing. Beaverun Motorsports Park in Beaver County is a good track for amateur racing. The Pittsburgh Vintage Car Grand Prix will hold its first event on a 2.33-mile temporary street circuit in Schenley Park. Unlike the real Vintage, which is, at least, 20-years old, the Vintage in the game was, due to politics, held up. The only reason they got it started was billionaire industralist Bruce Wayne's threat to hold it at Washington County Speedway, which one of his companies own. Wayne Enterprises also own the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in the Strip District. When the Penguines, who want a new arena, heard about it, they insisted on certain changes before they would agree to play hockey there. Wayne Enterprises refused their demands.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU The Pittsburgh thread has been started.

In this thread, we're looking at my version of Pittsburgh. Although it'll be home to a silver-age Batman campaign, that's a topic for another thread. In this thread, we're looking at the city and the surrounding area. Let's start with the real Pittsburgh, my home town. The city is having a financial crisis. Our mayor has two groups trying to get the city out of the red. One is a legislature-appointed Oversight Board. The other is the Act 47 Recovery Team. The mayor and the Oversight Board are at loggerheads. He wants new taxes and they don't. He's hoping the ACT 47 Recovery Team will see things his way. Alleghny County government is also in financial trouble. They're laying off 500 people, including, I hope, the useless County Row Offices. The Port Authority of Alleghny County, our transit agency, is having troubles, too. Since Pennsylvania doesn't have a dedicated transit funding method, state funds for transit, and county funds which are set by how much the state gives, are staying the same, or dropping while costs increase. Layoffs and service cutbacks are the result. Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn't let local police use radar to enforce speed laws. They think the communities will use it to raise money. Slot machines, which are legal in surrounding states, are illegal in Pennsylvania. Since people are going out of state to play them, the local horse tracks are losing money. Hopefully, they will be legal by June 30. Of course, it will still take several months for the gaming commission to get set up and organized and issue licenses. Next, we'll look at interesting places in the area. Some are real, some are taken from books, comic books, television, movies or gaming material while the rest come from my mind.

Re: Your Dark Champions Campaigns Is a silver-age Batman campaign set in Pittsburgh considered Champions or Dark Champions?

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU In case you're wondering about the Seabat, it was designed and built by the Nelson Institute of Marine Research for the United States Navy Oceanorgaphic Office (NavOceanO). The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is leasing it from them while they work on research projects together. This thread is one of a group dealing with my campaign. Others will focus on the campaign city (Pittsburgh), the superhero team (a silver-age Bat Team) and house rules and their base (the Batcave). Nurses are still wearing white uniforms and, occasionally, caps because they like the elegant look. Many in Congress prefer to support their big contributers instead of the regular people in their district. Responding to demands by wealthy contributers for greater police protection for them and less or none for the poor, they passed, by a veto-proof majority, a bill letting cities declare poor areas "zero law enforcement zones". (Name taken from Mike Surbrook's Kazai 5 campaign.) Some are run by crooks for their own use while others are run by the local prostitutes. (Sounds like I have another thread about my campaign here.)

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Assuming the Society of Watchers, and (Highlander-style Immortals exist in this universe, I'm sure Immortals have encountered vampires. Some may have killed vampires and some pre-immortals may have become immortal due to vampire attacks. Although the Society would probably have known about the old Council of Watchers, the old Council probably didn't know about the Society, If they did, keeping in mind that they didn't seem to like outsiders helping the Slayer, the Council would have its thugs attack the Society. Of course, when they heard about this, some Immortals would, in return, attack the Council. The new Council, headed by Rupert Giles, on the other hand, would not object to Immortals helping the Slayers. If Immortals exist, Gabrielle might still be alive and the Amazon Queen, assuming that Amazons still exist. I can see it now, an Amazon Slayer. Way cool.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU On to the Slayers, Hellmouths and such. Somebody has to fight the vampires, demons and other kinds of undead. That's where Slasyers come in. After the Initative left Sunnydale, they briefed UNTIL and the federal government's law enforcement and intelligence agencies about Buffy, the Hellmouth and the Watchers. The NID wanted persission to go after the Slayer and find out about her powers. The President refused and added that anyone in the NID who disobeyed would end up in jail. One group of NID agents tried anyway. They took Dawn and Willow prisioner to lure Buffy to them. Much to their surprise, Willow was a witch and Dawn, being the key, had energy powers. As the NID agents tried to flee, they ran into Buffy, Xander, Anya, Spike, Tara and the Initative and ended up in jail. After the Sunnydale Hellmouth was closed, resulting in the earthquake, Buffy and Giles put their heads together and wrote a new charter and bylaws for the Council of Watchers. She, Faith and Robin then continued training the Slayers that survived Sunnydale. Once they were fully trained, they began training the new Slayers. A trained Slayer, two Watchers and their students are assigned to guard each Hellmouth and the surrounding area. A Slayer gains her powers when she's 11-years old. If she's a minor, her parents have to give her permission to start her training and, if she's completely trained and still a minor, patrolling.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Now I rember. Future Cop was one of several serieses about futureistic police officers. Others were Holmes and Yoyo, Automan, Robocop and Something is Out There. As for Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, I don't think it was ever shown in Pittsburgh. But then, we never had the good animated serieses here.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU If you look inder Hero System Documents in the Free Stuff part of this website, you'll find a list of superheroes worldwide. For the most part, these exist in my version of the CU. The changes made will depend on my campaign. If I set it in Mellinnium City, the heroes in my campaign will replace the iconic characters as The Champions and Witchcraft will be the Archmage. If I bring the Champions to Pittsburgh, the iconic team, in Mellinnium City, will be renamed. If I do a silver-age style Batman campaign, either in Pittsburgh or Gotham City, there will be no changes.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU The United Kingdom was mentioned briefly in my second post. That's where the Knights of Pendragon are. UNIT, from Dr. Who, could be part of UNTIL World Security Incorporated, from Search, would function as a private security firm, like it was in the series. John Steed and Emma Peel have, no doubt, passed the torch onto the next generation. He is now Mother and she's now Father. (For those of you who don't remember, Mother, the head of The Ministry, has always been male and Father, the second in command, has been female.) I hadn't thought about Questor, but he could be easily added. Who was HAVEN and what was The Unicom Organization? Information on Slayers and such to follow by the end of the week. I have to get my notes together before I can post the info.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU No, her ability to change into a cougar is the result of a curse. Without the magical choker she wears (an IIF) she shifts when she's enraged and the animal part of her is in control. Slayers, Hellmouths and such are up next.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Was Collinsport the city Dark Shadows was set in? Karl Kolchak was a reporter in The Night Stalker. William Sebastian and Dr. "Ham" Hamilton were in a failed pilot and occult mystery movie produced by the late Gene Roddenbury. The two FBI agents you mentioned might be Mulder and Scully. It might be interesting to have these people show up and get involved with the heroes. Thanks for the idea.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Major Samantha Carter, USAF, PhD in astrophysics, who, due to Colonel Jack O'Neill's incapitation, is in command of Stargate Command's SG-1 team, is still Jolinar's host. Nevada's Perfection Valley is the residence of about 50-people and a sterile graboid known as El Blanco. The valley floor is coated with Mix Master, a chemical that six months ago escaped from a secret government lab that was built in the 1940s and can mix non-human DNA with ease. An earthquake dropped the city of Sunnydale, California into a sinkhole. A Starbucks Coffee fan labled, on his website, the Sunnydale Starbucks as "The one that got away". Many mages have a fastness, or mystic refuge. Some start out that way, while others start out as normal dwellings, then have spells cast on them. Some also serve as the headquarters for a superhero team that includes the mage. The Trismegistus Council is one of the oldest organizations of white mages in the world. Many mages that are associated with superhero teams are associated with it. More to come.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU No, but I might cast Gillian Anderson as an FBI agent that can morph into a cougar, with human intelligence and ego. I assume the panther writeup in the Hero System Bestiary is the right one for a cougar.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Secret Service Agent Alex McGregor heads the detail protecting the President, his family and other VIPs. Her husband, corporate adventure company owner and former wilderness guide Grant Coleman sometimes assists her. Alex doesn't mind superhero teams assisting her, if they are invited to do so, have a federal liaison and are willing to place themselves under her orders. The Champions, The Justice Squadron and The Sentinels are among the ones she's worked with. More to follow, including, somewhere down the line, supernatural stuff.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Agreed

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Yeah, it would

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU All the typos on my first two posts have been corrected. There will be a post dealing with the Secret Service later today.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU The Santa Barbara, California based Nelson Institute of Marine Research, founded in 1961 by the late Admiral Harriman Nelson and now run by Admiral Lee Crane and Vice Admiral Chip Morton, is one of the world's best-known oceanographic institutes and has been the home for all three versions of the submarine Seaview. The current one was launched in 2002 and is commanded by Captain Robert Morton. Lee's son, Commander David Crane, is his executive officer. Down the coast, in La Jolla, California, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is home to the Seabat, an experimental research submarine with a cold fusion reactor and a transparent nose. Until an attack on our world by Anubis, the existance of Stargate Command, which is located near the campaign city, has been kept a secret. When he made the existance of Stargate Command known to the public, he also closed down the National Intelligence Department, claiming that it was no longer needed. Dr. Elizabeth Weir is now the head of Stargate Command. Its former head, Major General George Hammond, now commands the world's only space battleship, the Prometheus, an X-303 spaceship and its X-302 fighters. Currently, the United Nations is debating what, if anything, to do about Stargate Command. More to follow. Comments on what has been presented so far are invited.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Thanks. The duplicate post has been deleted. A furthur post will be made later today.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU More is coming. Sorry about the double post. I had computer problems last night when I typed it up.

Re: A Look at my Version of the CU Now, modern times. The Knights of Pendragon are one of the United Kingdom's most famous hero teams. The current group is businesswoman Francesca Lexley Grace, who prefers to be addressed as Grace, Astra TV's fearless and beloved reporter Kate McClellan and Joey Chapman, the current Union Jack. Joey's lover Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton, the now rejuvinated World War II heroine Spitfire often joins them. All members have armor that can be called into being and use high-tech speader bikes to travel from place to place. Grace always wears her armor in combat. Kate prefers street clothes (recently she has been seen in a black leather jumpsuit, gloves and combat boots that she bought before doing a five-part story on British motorcycle clubs), but occasionally wears scale mail with a black tabard, brown leather boots, gloves and sword belt, and a shield. (The shield and tabard bear Queen Guinevere's coat of arms). Joey wears his Union Jack costume or armor, Spitfire wears her old costume without its mask. Jonathan Hayes, a widower with one college-age daughter, Jess, is the President of the United States. He's engaged to Kathryn Yarnell. Gloria Valdez is the Vice President. Evelyn Baker Long is the Chief Justice of the United States. Lady's gloves went out of style in the early 1970s. Dressy ones came back into style in 1979 and by 1985 they were being worn with even the most casual clothes. Some fashion experts belive that women are imitating female metahumans. Also in 1979, stuntwoman and Wheel of Fortune hostess Susan Stafford started wearing evening gowns and long gloves after cutting her left arm open in a movie stunt that went wrong. (Due to letters from fans, saying that they loved the look, Susan, who is still on the show and looks as young as when she started, continues to wear them.)

Archeologists, historians and linguists are always making discoveries. Here's a look at some of the ones the heroes may have heard about. In Southern Greece, evidence of the existance of Xena, Gabrielle and the Amazons has been found. Eveidence has also been found of a great battle between 200 Amazons and 2 Roman legions. All the Amazone were killed, as were half the Romans. It is believed that the Amazons kept the Romans occupied while other Amazons escaped into the world at large. The remains of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere have been found near Gladstonbury Tor. Evidence of Camelot Castle, a post and beam structure, has been found on Cadbury Hill, near the River Cam. Buried under the castle were records of Arthur's battles. A partial list of his knights and spiritual allies were also found. According to the list, there were three female knights, Queen Guinevere, Queen Aleta of the Misty Isles, and Lady Rowanne (also spelled Rowenne), a soldier who became a knight. Among the spiritual allies were Vivianne, the Lady of the Lake, and Morgaine, her successor. Morgause was mentioned as a trator. The remains of the nineteenth century Spanish town of Santa Helena was found in what was once Spanish California. After Colonel Luis Montoya was expelled for his crimes, the Spanish appointed Don Gaspar Hidalgo governer. His wife, Vera, proved to be much smarter then people thought. There was also a record of the vigilante known as the Queen of Swords. Once Gol. Montoya and his thugs left, she proved to be a protector, and not the bandit queen as Montoya made her out to be. Next, we find out about modern times.

Re: Year One Batman Campaign Idea Perhaps I should've said "Batman before he became paranoid" instead of "Batman Year One". As I type this, it occurrs to me that, in the DCU, Batman's identity is known by, if memory serves correctly, 20 people. It would, I think, be reasonable for Batman's fellow teammates, the two-woman support staff and the non-DOSPA liaison to know who he is. This way, Alfred could keep the Batcave clean while others are there and Lady Arcane's house doesn't have to be used as an entrance.